Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-27
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The graph below gives information on the numbers of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia for the period 2000 to 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The given chart provides us with information about number of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne from 2000 to 2020.
Overall, the film club accounts for the greatest number of participants while other activities have undergone certain fluctuations with the exception of amateur dramatics participants dramatically increased in 2010.
The film club had the highest number of participants approximately 70 in 2000 .It stayed the same throughout with some minor ups and downs.
Musical performances had no member in 2000 till 2005 but in 2010 the number rose to 10 with nearly 20 members in 2020.
Amateur dramatics had 30 members in 2000 and the number decreased to 20 in 2010 but then a substantial growth was recorded the following years and this club held majority of participants in 2020.
Martial arts had nearly half the members than table tennis in 2000. But with time martial arts accumulated more people approximately 40 by 2020. On the contrary table tennis faced a drastic decrease following 2010 where its members collided to zero in 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task and identifies key trends, such as the stability of the film club and the decline of table tennis. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; for instance, stating that amateur dramatics 'dramatically increased in 2010' is not supported by the data, which shows a decrease at that point. Additionally, the description of the film club as having 'the greatest number of participants' is contradicted by the 2020 data where amateur dramatics clearly surpasses it. While the main features are reported, the analysis lacks precision in comparing the data points, and some figures are described vaguely, which limits the overall clarity of the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific activities. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'On the contrary', and 'in the following years', which help the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of referencing is occasionally weak, and some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different activities, but the internal flow within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to better connect the comparative data points.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with attempts to use descriptive language such as 'substantial growth', 'drastic decrease', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'members collided to zero', which is an incorrect use of the verb 'collide'. The phrase 'held majority of participants' is also slightly unnatural. While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, the lack of precision in word choice prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More precise terminology for describing trends would enhance the quality of the report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the' number of participants), incorrect preposition usage ('in 2000 till 2005'), and issues with tense consistency. For example, 'the film club had the highest number... It stayed the same' is acceptable, but 'table tennis faced a drastic decrease... where its members collided to zero' shows some difficulty with complex sentence construction. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of sentence-level accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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